Molasses-gate



N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGT'ON. uc. Y

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SERVICE WHITTEMORE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOLASSES-GATE.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 1,359, dated October 9, 1839.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, the undersigned, SERVICE IVHITTEMORE, of Boston, inthe county of Suffolk, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful improvement in the form, construction, and action of whatis commonly termed a molasses gate or tap for drawing off molasses fromthe cask or other vessel that contains it.

The old form of molasses gate hitherto generally used is made with acylindrical tube of about one inch and a quarter bore, on the outer endof which is cast a tablet standing perpendicular to the axis of the tubeaforesaid. The aperture of said tube is closed by means of a square gatemoving vertically upon the face of the tablet. This gate is made to riseand fall or in other words to open and shut by a rack and pinion therack formed upon the stem of the gate and the pinion turning in a socketcast in the head of the tablet. The gate is pressed close to the face ofthe tablet by a convex steel spring attached to its outer surface, andthis spring travels in guides upon each side of the gate, formed of ironwire.

To obtain sufficient pressure to resist the force of a column ofmolasses the height of a hogshead, it is necessary in the old form ofmolasses gate, that the spring should be very sti and when such a springis used the friction upon the guides is too great, and the lever handleby which the pinion is moved is liable to break, or, on the other hand,if the spring is not sufficiently stiff to resist such pressure as abovedescribed constant leakage is the consequence.

The following is a full and exact description of the molasses gate asimproved by me, which consists of a cylindrical metallic tube (a.) ofone inch and a half bore, having upon its outer end a tablet (b) (seedrawings) formed by the arc of a circle of four inches radius. The gate(c) which opens and shuts the aperture of the tube (a) is concave so asto fit the convex surface of the tablet (b) closely, and is kept in itsproper position by guides (d) at each side projecting J8- inch,

and also by two radial steel springs (c, e). These two springs whichpress the face of the gate close to the tablet with a power equal tofifty pounds are placed one upon each side of the tube (a.) and aresecured at that end which forms the center of the arc of the tablet by ascrew (m) passing through a socket (f) cast in the solid meta-l with thetube (a) and lying upon the upper side and transverse to the axisthereof. The said steel springs (e, 6,) pass from the center abovedescribed along the sides of the tube (a.) curving around the face ofthe tablet (b) and are attached each by a rivet or pin to the gate at(g). The opening and shutting of the gate is performed by a rack (h) andpinion the rack being formed upon a stem forming part of the gate andpassing up through a socket in the head of the tablet, wherein isscrewed the pinion, movable by a lever handle (m). At the back of thetablet is a rib to strengthen the same The drawing represents the gateshut, t-he dotted lines the position of the parts when the gate is open.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isThe mode of arranging the springs for keeping the gate firm in its seat,by attaching them to the socket (f) upon the tube (a) and making themmovable upon it as a center, and conducting them along said tube andsecuring them to the center of the gate as above described, and incombination therewith and necessary thereto, making the tablet and gateof a curvilinear shape, the tablet forming a segment of an arch so as toallow the radial steel springs describing a motion on their pivots.

In testimony whereof I, the said SERVICE WHITTEMORE, hereto subscribe myname in the presence of the witnesses whose names are hereto subscribedon this tenth day of September A. D. 1839.

SERVICE 1WHIIIEM(DRE.

